Thursday, April 30, 2009

Via YayaCanada, from Bible Study for Atheists, an interview with David Plotz, author of the book "Good Book" (VL is the interviewer 'Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy', DP is Plotz, and OT is Old Testament; my emphasis in red):

"VL: One thing I really wasn't prepared for was how explicit the OT was about how the Israelites were to barge into other people's land, kill them, and take it over. It seems to fulfill the worst perceptions that anti-Zionists have, no?

DP: That's an unfair conflation, because it merges an ancient religious text with modern geopolitics. There are, of course, lots and lots of Jews who justify their claims to Israel and the West Bank by using the Bible. But most Israelis don't and the Israeli government doesn't. One of the oddest realizations I had while reading the Bible is that modern Israel occupies land that was not generally Biblical Israel. Modern Israel is where ancient Israel's enemies lived. The Biblical demands to kill and occupy are horrifying, and probably the most troubling part of the Bible. (Book of Joshua is hands down the most disturbing Bible book.) But it's succumbing to the literalist fallacy to extrapolate from that that Jews inherently are genocidal and seeking to expel and murder everyone on "their" land.

I guess your question is about whether it reinforces anti-Zionist views, and I suppose you are right that it could. My answer suggests that I think that would be unfair, but it may happen anyway."

Did anyone see this week's CSI:NY? The one with Ed Asner as a Nazi? With a 'Jewish' son? Human-skin lampshades? Connect-the-dots neo-Nazi tattoos? Black-and-white (recreated) Auschwitz footage? Jewish children shot in the back of the head? Secret Nazi memorabilia rooms (remember that episode of Father Ted?!). Wow! I don't think I've ever seen propaganda more blatant. Maudlin. Over-the-top. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it manages to rise to yet another level of bathos (I'm serious - this is multiple throw-up-in-your-mouth material). Gary Sinise, like Jon Voight, is one of those right-wing Hollywood types that gives me the creeps. The truth is rising fast and the Zionists are using all their propaganda machine in order to try to continue killing Palestinians and stealing their land. Pathetic (and I doubt that propaganda this obvious will fool even an American audience that is used to such drivel).

Via YayaCanada, from Bible Study for Atheists, an interview with David Plotz, author of the book "Good Book" (VL is the interviewer 'Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy', DP is Plotz, and OT is Old Testament; my emphasis in red):

"VL: One thing I really wasn't prepared for was how explicit the OT was about how the Israelites were to barge into other people's land, kill them, and take it over. It seems to fulfill the worst perceptions that anti-Zionists have, no?

DP: That's an unfair conflation, because it merges an ancient religious text with modern geopolitics. There are, of course, lots and lots of Jews who justify their claims to Israel and the West Bank by using the Bible. But most Israelis don't and the Israeli government doesn't. One of the oddest realizations I had while reading the Bible is that modern Israel occupies land that was not generally Biblical Israel. Modern Israel is where ancient Israel's enemies lived. The Biblical demands to kill and occupy are horrifying, and probably the most troubling part of the Bible. (Book of Joshua is hands down the most disturbing Bible book.) But it's succumbing to the literalist fallacy to extrapolate from that that Jews inherently are genocidal and seeking to expel and murder everyone on "their" land.

I guess your question is about whether it reinforces anti-Zionist views, and I suppose you are right that it could. My answer suggests that I think that would be unfair, but it may happen anyway."

Did anyone see this week's CSI:NY? The one with Ed Asner as a Nazi? With a 'Jewish' son? Human-skin lampshades? Connect-the-dots neo-Nazi tattoos? Black-and-white (recreated) Auschwitz footage? Jewish children shot in the back of the head? Secret Nazi memorabilia rooms (remember that episode of Father Ted?!). Wow! I don't think I've ever seen propaganda more blatant. Maudlin. Over-the-top. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it manages to rise to yet another level of bathos (I'm serious - this is multiple throw-up-in-your-mouth material). Gary Sinise, like Jon Voight, is one of those right-wing Hollywood types that gives me the creeps. The truth is rising fast and the Zionists are using all their propaganda machine in order to try to continue killing Palestinians and stealing their land. Pathetic (and I doubt that propaganda this obvious will fool even an American audience that is used to such drivel).